1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to fixtures for therapy baths and more specifically, to a suction outlet assembly for providing a passage through which water within a therapy tub may be pumped out for recirculation.
2. Prior Art
The general concept of utilizing a suction outlet assembly to provide a passageway for recirculating the water within a whirlpool or therapy bath is well-known in the art. However, prior art suction outlet assemblies have one or more disadvantages relative to the present invention. More specifically, prior art suction outlet assemblies are relatively disadvantageous primarily from the standpoint of space and access requirements during installation and maintenance. By way of example, it will be seen hereinafter that the present invention is designed to provide a suction outlet assembly that requires only limited access to the whiripool bathtub exterior immediately adjacent the assembly during installation, replacement, or repair. Furthermore, it will be seen that the present invention provides an assembly structure which, because of its unique configuration, minimizes the space required at the tub exterior immediately adjacent the assembly to accommodate its installation. In the present invention the distance between the exterior surface of the tub wall and the farthest point of an elbow structure designed to redirect the water exit path towards the recirculation pump, is always minimum.
Another relevant disadvantage of prior art suction outlet assemblies relates to appearance. More specifically, it is generally well-known that one must provide a suction outlet assembly that is safe. A safe outlet is one which will not inadvertently trap a user against the outlet as a result of the pressure differential created by the recirculation pump. It has become common to employ in such outlet assemblies a protruding relatively large ribbed structure providing a large plurality of alternative water exit paths that cannot all be covered simultaneously by the user. Such multiple paths preclude injury resulting from either trapping the user against the suction outlet assembly or pinching and injuring parts of his body. However, in order to provide a structure that is sufficiently large to preclude simultaneous blockage of all possible paths, prior art structures tend to be esthetically unappealing and cumbersome which detract from the overall appearance of the whirlpool bath. The present invention provides a unique structural configuration which permits a substantially reduced outlet assembly size while preserving the aforementioned safety features wherein the water flow is separated into numerous distinct paths as will be more fully understood hereinafter.